The Muggle/Bear/Troll goes letterboxing .......

This adventured happened the morning of December 29th, 2007, as posted to the Atlas Quest SC board:

Ok well, I have been on a bad streak lately – gone out on hikes and coming home empty handed. Even went to get these 2 boxes the other day with my nephew and ran close on time so had to head back and I was SOOOOOO close. I love t's boxes and just had to have these 2. Mr Sun and Bloodroot from her Woodland Wildflowers series. So this morning, since my “calf” is at my Mom's, I announce that I am getting dressed and going up to the GAP.

The muggle/bear/troll is already in grump mode but insists that I am not going alone, “Holly it rained all day yesterday, you will twist an ankle and then we will be on the news tonight with search teams looking for you !, How far are these things anyway” I think quick and LIE and say only a mile “darling” just right by the falls and that is only a mile in. So I get dressed still planning on going alone or with my one dog, and the troll gets ready too. Off we go up the mountain, the trails are VERY wet and all the little streams that have not been an issue to get across are a little challenging. We get to the falls across the new bridge (while this bridge is nice, I love the old wooden bridge better). The troll does not like to try and understand clues he just starts looking. We look for Mr Sun for a little while – I keep telling him “this is not the place – t's clues are very good and if she says a CUBE she means a cube.” We are wet, dirty and looking everywhere until I finally convince him that we are not in the right spot and need to keep going. We trudge on, wet and dirty. I read him the clues again, things click and my bad luck streak has been crushed and I find the SUN. Go to the river edge and get a wet bottom stamping in but AHHHHHHH what a great feeling, I am back on my game ! Now I have to figure out a way to LIE again and get him to go for the bloodroot. PLEASE I beg, it is only a little further up to the next trail. He agrees and we trudge on. We get to the Coldspring connection and he asks again HOW FAR ? I LIE yet again, only a ¼ of a mile! We cross the small wooden floating bridge which was a pretty good challenge due to the water this morning. Then cross the big bridge and face a large stream with really no way to cross. The troll announces WE ARE GOING BACK. I AM NOT HIKING BACK 2 miles with wet feet and socks HOLLY !! I try and think fast I see a log that we can use to cross – I don't even say anything and I attempt it and YEEEHAAAA I am across. I look back, with “that” look on his face he follows. GIVE ME THAT CLUE he yells. I am busted now, totally busted because it says that it is ½ mile not a ¼ of a mile. I say come on “darling” we have nothing pressing to do, we are this CLOSE, PLEASE. On we hike – Now like I said t's clues are very good – and she AINT kidding that this is a steep incline. I keep in front of the troll and just keep going. He is mad, he is laboring up this STEEP INCLINE and he yells to me YOU LIED HOLLY – YOU LIED! I apologize and keep climbing. It flatten just like t says and low and behold I am standing at the river edge. I can see that huge log on the other side. The water is roaring and the stepping stones that normally are used to get across are under water. The troll tells me – “come back another time when the water has gone down Holly – you can not hike back with your shoes and socks wet.” I almost died. There was NO WAY I was not going to have this box when I was standing this close – I can see the large log and all that is stopping me is a roaring river. I look at him, sit down and take my shoes and socks off. He announces that I have totally LOST MY MIND – IT IS DECEMBER he informs me. I am getting this box! I roll my jeans up to my knees and wade across the river. I run up the trail to the log – OH NO – he has my clue, so I yell to him to read it to me – He laughs like the troll he is and says WHAT IS IT WORTH TO YA !!!!!!! Finally after he has his little fun with me, SUCCESS – the Bloodroot is MINE ! I am only the 3rd person to venture for it. I stamp in, hide the box, wade back across the river as my darling troll is laughing and asking me if the water is WARM. Sit on my already wet bottom to get my socks and hiking boots back on. I look at the troll and say “did you really expect me to not get that box when I was standing here this close ?” He laughed and said “NO I knew we were not going anywhere until you had it but I was not getting any wetter !” So we venture back and he again reminds me that I LIED. Well the steep incline is now a STEEP decline and all the leaves covering the trail are wet and slick and I almost bust my bottom several times on the way back down, all to the troll's amusement. We have a very nice walk back, wet, dirty but feeling very fulfilled as my bad streak is over (I hope). As we get back to the car, the troll announces that my little 1 mile hike has taken us 4 hours ! We get home, I heat up homemade soup for lunch, and thank the troll again for going with me. He announces to me that he is hurting a little and reclines back and as I type this I can hear the sounds of a muggle/grumpy bear/troll snoring.

THANKS 't'